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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: coach · roll · rule · stock · prune · bank · firm · wax

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rule — government
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — shares
  15. bank — of a river
  16. firm — a company
  17. stock — goods
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. roll — a cake
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. firm — decided
  24. rule — a law

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