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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. object — a thing
  19. rush — hurry
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rule — a law
  22. capital — a city
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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