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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 120 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: bound · court · mark · wake · prune · ruler · calf · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mark — a trace
  4. court — for sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. ruler — a monarch

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