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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 120 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: firm · mark · club · ruler · fork · clip · prune · tear

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. club — for golf
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. firm — decided
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mark — a trace
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. firm — a company
  19. tear — from crying
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — in a road
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — a group

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