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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 120 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 · rule · mine · key · bulb · bore

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to tire
  8. key — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — government
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bore — to drill

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