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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: safe · track · mate · scale · bass · ruler · bound · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — low music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mate — a partner
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bound — certain
  17. scale — size or range
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bound — tied together
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — a path
  24. ruler — for measuring

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