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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. cap — a hat
  3. land — to come down
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rule — government
  7. land — a country
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — a committee
  10. bank — of a river
  11. land — ground
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — goods
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — a law
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — for money
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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