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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · ground · mug · ruler · cabinet · present · hand · racket

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a face
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. hand — help
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — a position
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. present — there

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