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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 · mug · root · capital · prune · scale · saw · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rule — government
  3. capital — money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mug — a cup
  9. board — a committee
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. scale — size or range

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