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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: craft · prune · wound · bark · key · stick · content · jam

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. craft — boats
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bark — to shout
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — for a lock
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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