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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 116 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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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: mark · fan · rule · prune · kick · present · saw · pit

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rule — a law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rule — government
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — the time now
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. mark — a grade
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — a gift

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