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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: ruler · capital · ball · track · deal · prune · club · squash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. club — a group
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. track — a path
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a city

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