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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 116 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: prune · ball · spring · ruler · content · firm · bound · bowl

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. firm — a company
  3. spring — of water
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — the amount
  8. firm — decided
  9. content — happy
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spring — the season
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — certain
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. firm — steady
  24. content — videos and posts

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