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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: stock · fine · rock · rule · stem · prune · last · fall

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. last — finally
  13. stock — goods
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — music
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — final

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