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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · ground · foot · wave · ruler · capital · deal · bank

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — money
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bank — of a river
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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