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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: rule · court · leaves · craft · mine · rock · mug · prune

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rule — government
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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