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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: game · jam · stock · prune · land · craft · rest · ruler

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. land — a country
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. craft — boats
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stock — goods
  16. land — ground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stock — shares
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rest — a break

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