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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: spring · present · swing · ruler · fine · firm · patient · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — a coil
  6. swing — to play on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — a gift
  13. firm — decided
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. firm — a company
  22. spring — the season
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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