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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: current · firm · season · key · mate · hand · prune · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — a partner
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — in cards
  7. firm — a company
  8. mate — a friend
  9. key — the most important part
  10. current — happening now
  11. key — in music
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — help
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. firm — steady
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — a cake
  23. firm — decided
  24. key — for a lock

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