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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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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: key · prune · mark · rush · race · bat · mine · mug

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — in music
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mug — a face
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mark — a trace
  24. prune — to trim

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