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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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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: club · prune · mark · root · hide · key · cell · rule

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rule — a law
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — for dancing
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. key — for a lock
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. rule — government
  24. key — in music

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