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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 120 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: track · ruler · fall · prune · chip · pitcher · bass · cap

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — low music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — the season

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