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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. roll — a list
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — in control
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. band — a music group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — a law
  23. roll — a cake
  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