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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pop — music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — soda
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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