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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — in control
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. court — of law
  7. charge — a price
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — a weight
  12. prune — to trim
  13. court — for sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rule — government

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