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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 120 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: ruler · prune · rock · snap · pitcher · content · fan · straw

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — happy
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rock — a stone
  9. content — the amount
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. snap — to click
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rock — music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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