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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: ground · content · leaves · bark · prune · ruler · clip · current

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — electric
  17. content — the amount
  18. clip — a video
  19. content — happy
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. prune — to trim
  22. current — happening now
  23. clip — for paper
  24. content — videos and posts

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