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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — finally
  3. march — music
  4. last — final
  5. march — the month
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — in control
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. last — to go on
  22. march — the month
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pound — a weight

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