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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: mark · chip · cabinet · pitcher · wound · prune · ruler · spring

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a trace
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — the season
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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