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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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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: prune · foot · drill · mate · ruler · rest · game · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. foot — a measure
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — a break
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — army training
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a partner

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