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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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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: file · ruler · prune · bat · land · foot · key · bank

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — of a river
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. file — a line of people

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