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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: bulb · shower · ruler · cap · season · pound · last · prune

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — a lid
  12. season — in sport
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — to go on
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. season — of the year
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bulb — for light

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