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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: wake · pit · pop · rule · toast · rest · track · prune

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rule — a law
  7. pop — soda
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rest — a break
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — a path
  17. toast — bread
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pit — in a race
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rule — government
  24. pop — music

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