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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. present — a gift
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. present — there
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — the time now
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — happy
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. band — a music group
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. march — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — a trainer

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