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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: key · prune · current · stand · nail · chip · can · pitcher

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — electric
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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