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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · ground · charge · bear · pass · prune · mouse · court

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — a gift
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. charge — in control
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. ground — a position
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. bear — to put up with

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