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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: prune · mouse · cap · hand · date · ruler · bulb · bore

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to drill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hand — help
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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