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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.

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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: kick · mine · hand · track · bulb · prune · key · mug

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — help
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — for digging
  10. key — in music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. kick — in football
  21. mug — a face
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mug — to rob
  24. kick — with a leg

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