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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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 — the fruit
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rash — a series
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rash — hasty
  13. staff — employees
  14. rule — a law
  15. board — a committee
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — electric
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — to trim
  21. current — happening now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. board — to get on
  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