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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wind — moving air
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. roll — a list
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chip — for betting
  11. key — the most important part
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. charge — a price
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. roll — a cake
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — in control
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wind — moving air
  20. key — in music
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. last — final
  24. key — for a lock

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