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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — a coil
  3. suit — clothes
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. spring — of water
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — the season
  20. suit — in cards
  21. tube — the underground
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — a container
  24. racket — for tennis

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