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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: stand · racket · last · rule · prune · chest · track · patient

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chest — of your body
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. last — final
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — to bear
  19. last — to go on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — finally
  22. rule — a law
  23. track — to keep track
  24. patient — a sick person

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