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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. charge — in control
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. charge — a price
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — in music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — of the year
  20. race — a contest
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. season — in sport

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