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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: bowl · prune · key · rule · board · cabinet · fine · track

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — a law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a path
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rule — government

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