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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: mark · mate · kid · prune · key · wake · ruler · bowl

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. mate — a friend
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mate — a partner
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mark — a grade

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