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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: arm · deal · prune · racket · mug · tube · rule · cap

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — the underground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rule — a law
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tube — a container
  22. rule — government
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — a cup

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