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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: ground · kid · prune · ruler · fine · squash · perch · shower

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — to crush
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kid — to tease
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ground — crushed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. perch — the fish

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