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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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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: rush · prune · bass · bowl · ruler · last · leaves · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — finally
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. last — final
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. last — to go on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. object — to protest
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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