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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: date · roll · bark · rush · ruler · dip · prune · ground

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to sink
  3. prune — to trim
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — to shout
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — a cake

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