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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — a break
  4. charge — in control
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — a law
  11. season — in sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — government
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — of the sea

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