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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: date · net · rash · prune · bark · straw · key · foot

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. net — for catching
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — hasty
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. net — in sport
  14. date — the fruit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — after costs
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. key — in music
  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