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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: cue · field · mark · rash · prune · rule · bank · bay

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — for money
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. field — a subject
  14. bank — of a river
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. prune — the fruit

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