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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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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: prune · dip · racket · wound · mark · club · ruler · key

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. club — for dancing
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — a group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — for a lock

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