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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · prune · chip · season · rock · vault · hand · coach

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. vault — a safe
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hand — help
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — the fruit

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