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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ball — a great time
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. file — a document
  8. cue — a hint
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — a price
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. charge — in control

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