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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: club · game · ruler · prune · ground · roll · object · lean

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — wild animals
  4. prune — to trim
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — thin
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lean — to bend
  10. object — to protest
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — a group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for golf
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — an aim
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ground — a position
  22. roll — a list
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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