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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 · object · nail · bark · can · key · tube · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. ground — a position
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. object — to protest
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — a thing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — a tin
  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