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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: sharp · prune · spring · kid · ruler · bulb · track · squash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. squash — the sport
  7. spring — a coil
  8. track — a path
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spring — the season
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — a song
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

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