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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 116 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: fan · bay · ruler · fine · sharp · cabinet · prune · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. sharp — clever

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