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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: rule · prune · fall · charge · scale · game · squash · bear

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. scale — size or range
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. game — a match
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. rule — government
  9. fall — to drop
  10. squash — to crush
  11. scale — in music
  12. charge — a price
  13. game — wild animals
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rule — a law
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. charge — in control
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. charge — electricity

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