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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: saw · ruler · pop · march · chair · pass · kick · prune

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. march — music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — soda
  21. march — the month
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chair — to sit on

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