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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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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: bat · mark · rock · snap · club · safe · prune · key

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rock — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mark — a trace
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — a group
  18. key — the most important part
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for golf
  21. key — in music
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. key — for a lock

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