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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: prune · stand · pit · key · swing · bowl · racket · rule

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pit — in a race
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a hole
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rule — a law
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rule — government
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. swing — music
  24. key — for a lock

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