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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: cabinet · race · deal · rock · prune · ruler · mug · club

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — a contest
  5. club — for dancing
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. club — for golf
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — a group
  23. race — the arms race
  24. deal — a big deal

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