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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: ruler · firm · fan · court · prune · bound · leaves · season

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. season — of the year
  3. bound — tied together
  4. firm — a company
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. court — of law
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — certain
  23. prune — to trim
  24. court — for sport

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