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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 120 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: pop · plane · hide · pound · key · bat · prune · stick

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pop — music
  4. pound — a weight
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — the most important part
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. hide — to keep secret

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