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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: last · prune · ruler · bowl · season · stick · deal · bulb

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — to go on
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. season — of the year
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — final

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