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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 120 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: track · fan · stem · kid · key · prune · cabinet · pop

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. track — a song
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — child
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — a path
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pop — soda
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pop — music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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