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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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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: foot · jam · ruler · prune · bore · capital · tube · deal

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to tire
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. capital — a city
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — the underground
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — to handle

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