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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: key · racket · rule · safe · mine · bowl · spring · prune

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. prune — to trim
  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