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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: prune · file · ball · nail · pass · rule · perch · arm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. file — a document
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. perch — the fish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. file — a tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rule — government
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ball — a dance

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