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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: rule · can · mouse · firm · capital · stock · prune · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. capital — money
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. firm — decided
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. board — to get on
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — steady
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — a law
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. stock — goods
  18. board — a committee
  19. prune — to trim
  20. capital — a city
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. firm — a company
  24. can — a tin

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