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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: prune · sharp · capital · pass · rule · perch · club · content

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. content — the amount
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — a permit
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a city
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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