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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — there
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — a price
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. drill — the tool

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