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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: prune · chest · can · pitcher · degree · bank · season · ruler

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. degree — an amount
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. can — a tin
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — of a river
  24. season — of the year

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