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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: prune · ruler · spell · pitcher · key · rush · bat · bank

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rush — hurry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — letters
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bank — of a river

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