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

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — electricity
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — a price
  7. club — a group
  8. charge — in control
  9. mate — to breed
  10. file — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. file — a document
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — music
  23. track — a path
  24. rock — a stone

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