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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. game — a match
  14. band — a ring
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. band — a music group
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. band — a rubber band

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