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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: cap · pit · prune · spell · bass · spring · foot · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — the season
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bass — the fish
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spring — of water
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — magic
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bass — low music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cap — a lid

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