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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: prune · squash · bear · fine · file · pound · dip · rule

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — high quality
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rule — government
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fine — all right
  17. bear — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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