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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: mine · cabinet · can · nail · key · content · prune · roll

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. content — happy
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — to be able to
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — the fruit

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