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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · fan · prune · staff · cue · roll

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cue — a hint
  10. charge — a price
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — for pool
  18. roll — on a roll

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