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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — clothes
  12. capital — a city
  13. rule — government
  14. capital — money
  15. suit — in cards
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — to fit
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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