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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: bark · leaves · key · bank · saw · prune · club · drill

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bark — to shout
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — in music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — of a river
  9. drill — the tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — army training
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — for a lock
  18. drill — a practice
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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