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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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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: stick · prune · current · capital · ruler · fine · land · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. capital — money
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. current — electric
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rest — a break
  10. land — ground
  11. capital — a city
  12. current — happening now
  13. land — a country
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. current — of water
  18. land — to come down
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — all right
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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