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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: prune · key · present · pop · wound · current · season · firm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — electric
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — a company
  7. season — of the year
  8. key — in music
  9. present — there
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — to trim
  12. current — of water
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — happening now
  16. pop — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — a gift
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — in sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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