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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · racket · ruler · deal · mate · can · prune

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. last — finally
  5. mate — a friend
  6. last — to go on
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. last — final
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — to handle
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spring — the season
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. can — a tin
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. racket — a loud noise

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