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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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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 · key · ball · last · object · sharp · stick · jam

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — finally
  3. key — in music
  4. ball — a great time
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. key — the most important part
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a dance
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — to protest
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. last — final
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — a thing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — an aim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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