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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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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: rule · bear · prune · ground · stick · ruler · jam · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ground — crushed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — a position
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. ruler — for measuring

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