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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
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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: last · spell · can · land · prune · game · rule · pitcher

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — magic
  13. last — final
  14. land — to come down
  15. last — to go on
  16. land — a country
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rule — government
  19. spell — letters
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. land — ground
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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