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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: mug · content · racket · key · straw · trunk · rule · prune

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. content — happy
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rule — government
  13. mug — a face
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. content — the amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. key — the most important part
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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