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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: ground · ruler · prune · deal · season · suit · wind · cap

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — a position
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — of the year
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ground — the earth
  10. season — in sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. suit — clothes
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — a lid
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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