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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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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: pass · wake · rule · fork · last · prune · pound · key

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — final
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — to go on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — a law
  13. key — in music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — to hit hard

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