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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: track · wind · pound · ruler · hide · land · prune · bulb

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — a country
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. track — a song
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a path
  24. hide — to keep secret

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