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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · mark · wake · prune · drill · racket · tube · key

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — in music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. key — for a lock

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