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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: mark · spring · track · mine · key · ruler · file · prune

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. key — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — a coil
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. track — a path
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ruler — a monarch

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