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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — government
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a match
  6. charge — electricity
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — in control
  9. mug — a cup
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cue — a signal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mug — a face
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. charge — a price
  18. rule — a law
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a committee
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rule — to rule out

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