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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 116 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: kick · mouse · fall · pitch · prune · key · mark · current

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. current — of water
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — electric
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — the animal

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