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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: wax · ruler · root · fork · prune · chair · bat · jam

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. root — of a word
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. root — of a plant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. root — the cause
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fork — in a road

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