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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · fine · rule · foot · prune · cabinet

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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. rule — government
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — a law

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