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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. prune — to trim
  3. last — final
  4. pit — a hole
  5. squash — to crush
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. last — to go on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — in control
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. squash — the sport
  15. scale — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — the vegetable

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