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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — to tease
  3. charge — in control
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. charge — electricity
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — child
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. rule — a law
  20. object — to protest
  21. row — to paddle
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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