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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: last · prune · field · bulb · bank · nail · key · net

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. key — in music
  4. net — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. last — to go on
  8. field — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. last — finally
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. field — a subject
  22. last — final
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — for money

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