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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 116 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: pass · spring · prune · land · stand · cap · ruler · chip

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — the season
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — a country
  19. chip — to eat
  20. spring — a coil
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — to bear

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