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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: rush · trunk · can · key · wound · prune · file · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a line of people
  12. field — a subject
  13. file — a document
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rush — hurry
  16. key — in music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. field — farmland
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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