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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: craft · track · scale · leaves · net · key · nail · prune

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — to keep track
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — in music
  14. net — for catching
  15. key — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. net — in sport

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