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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — a group
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. club — for golf
  11. rest — a break
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rule — government
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — a thing
  24. coach — a trainer

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