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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: bass · mark · prune · current · drill · fine · lean · key

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. current — of water
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fine — high quality
  10. current — happening now
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — electric
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — army training
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — low music
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — in music

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