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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: race · key · prune · cap · saw · can · branch · fork

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — in a road
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — for a lock
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. key — in music
  21. race — humankind
  22. branch — a division
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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