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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: trunk · racket · cabinet · current · prune · key · bark · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — of water
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bark — to shout
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — in music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. key — for a lock

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