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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 116 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: ground · fall · bark · ruler · rock · dip · cap · prune

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — crushed
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — the season
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ground — the earth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cap — a hat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — to shout
  24. prune — the fruit

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