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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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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: suit · court · prune · fine · pit · lash · rule · land

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — a law
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — a country
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rule — government
  18. land — ground
  19. court — for sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of a king
  24. fine — all right

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