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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: bear · ruler · deal · net · charge · wake · tube · prune

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — to handle
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — in control
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. deal — an agreement

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