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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · key · field · nail · stick · tube · bay · current

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — a container
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tube — the underground
  13. field — farmland
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — electric
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — in music

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