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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: mine · date · rule · mouse · land · racket · deal · prune

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. land — ground
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. land — a country
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rule — government
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. land — to come down
  16. rule — a law
  17. date — the fruit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — to handle
  24. prune — to trim

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