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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — a law
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — a cake
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — child
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — a container
  17. rule — government
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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