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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — in music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. charge — a price
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. prune — to trim
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. land — ground
  14. march — the month
  15. land — a country
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. can — to be able to
  18. march — the month
  19. bound — obliged
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. charge — electricity
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — size or range

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