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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: chest · key · pop · fork · prune · bore · fall · bank

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — in music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chest — a box
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pop — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. bore — gave birth

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