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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: racket · squash · bound · prune · stand · board · pop · rule

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bound — obliged
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a committee
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — to get on
  23. bound — tied together
  24. prune — to trim

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