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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.

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: rock · ruler · bulb · tube · prune · rash · bass · stick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — a series
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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