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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: ruler · track · cell · prune · mug · content · wake · band

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. band — a ring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. content — the amount
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cell — in biology
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cell — a phone
  20. track — a song
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — a path

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