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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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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. swing — to play on
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. can — to be able to
  9. kick — in football
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — a group
  17. bark — to shout
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. charge — in control
  24. bore — to drill

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