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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pop — to visit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — soda
  22. key — the most important part
  23. dip — to sink
  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