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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: bass · mug · safe · fine · prune · key · track · game

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. track — a path
  3. mug — to rob
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. track — a song
  7. bass — low music
  8. fine — all right
  9. mug — a face
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — a match
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mug — a cup
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. game — wild animals
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — high quality
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bass — the fish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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