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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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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: content · ruler · bank · season · chip · present · snap · prune

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. present — there
  5. bank — for money
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. content — the amount
  9. season — in sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. present — a gift
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — to eat

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