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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · key · rush · mate · spell · prune · bark · racket

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — government
  9. spell — magic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — hurry
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — in music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — the most important part
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — a law
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rule — to rule out

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