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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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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 · stand · pit · arm · key · swing · board · clip

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. board — to get on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. key — for a lock
  13. clip — for paper
  14. stand — to bear
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pit — a hole
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. key — in music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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