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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cap — a hat
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. file — a line of people
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. game — wild animals
  17. file — a document
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitcher — a jug

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