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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · bear · craft · game · row · nail · key · prune

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — to keep track
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — a line
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — in music
  20. game — a match
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. prune — to trim
  24. row — to paddle

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