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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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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: prune · safe · pop · deal · calf · key · bowl · rush

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. rush — hurry
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — soda
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pop — to visit
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — for a lock
  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