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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · rock · track · key · prune · can · game · toast

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. toast — bread
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — in music
  7. game — a match
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. track — a path
  13. land — ground
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com