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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: rule · racket · pass · prune · march · plane · squash · stick

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — a law
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — government
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — music
  24. rule — to rule out

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