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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · pound · spring · bat · ruler · bore · squash · prune

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spring — the season
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spring — of water
  24. pound — to hit hard

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