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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. march — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. present — there
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rule — a law
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. march — the month
  20. row — a line
  21. charge — in control
  22. rule — government
  23. present — the time now
  24. charge — electricity

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