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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 124 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: track · deal · rule · net · calf · prune · game · mouse

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. track — a path
  5. net — in sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. deal — to handle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — a match
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. net — for catching
  23. track — a song
  24. deal — an agreement

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