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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: deal · rock · capital · land · net · prune · cue · racket

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — for pool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. capital — a city
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — ground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — after costs
  11. rock — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. capital — money
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — a country
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — in sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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