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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: prune · key · field · club · file · bass · plane · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. file — a line of people
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — for sport
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — in music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. file — a document
  13. prune — to trim
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. field — a subject
  20. club — a group
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. plane — a tool
  24. field — farmland

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