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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: rest · ball · capital · prune · fan · arm · rock · stand

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. capital — money
  6. rock — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. capital — a city
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rest — what's left

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