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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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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: pop · rest · key · capital · object · bowl · rule · prune

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. capital — a city
  4. rest — what's left
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. key — in music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rule — a law
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. object — to protest
  20. pop — to visit
  21. key — for a lock
  22. object — a thing
  23. rule — government
  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