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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. last — to go on
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. roll — a cake
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — in control
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — final
  18. pop — to visit
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — music
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. roll — a list
  24. prune — to trim

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