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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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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: prune · fan · key · rock · snap · firm · club · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. club — for golf
  3. key — the most important part
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. firm — steady
  6. kid — to tease
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. key — for a lock
  10. snap — to click
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — a group
  14. kid — child
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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