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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — there
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chest — a box
  6. scale — size or range
  7. charge — in control
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — decided
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. firm — steady
  18. present — the time now
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — a gift
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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