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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rule — a law
  3. march — music
  4. bound — tied together
  5. club — for golf
  6. bound — certain
  7. roll — a cake
  8. charge — a price
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. march — the month
  15. bound — obliged
  16. club — a group
  17. rule — government
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — for dancing
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — a list
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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