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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 120 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 · bowl · wound · prune · mine · rock · ball · stick

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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