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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: trunk · degree · march · lash · rule · prune · key · charge

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — government
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — an amount
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. degree — temperature
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. march — music
  23. key — in music
  24. rule — a law

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