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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 120 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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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: capital · chip · ruler · bank · squash · prune · rest · cabinet

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. capital — money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — to crush
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — for betting
  12. capital — a city
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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