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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: date · scale · stick · prune · mine · root · ruler · season

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mine — for digging
  7. prune — to trim
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — size or range
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. root — of a plant
  20. date — the fruit
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — belonging to me

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