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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · prune · ruler · racket · stock · net · chair · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stock — shares
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fine — all right
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. net — in sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. prune — the fruit

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