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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: present · ground · march · shower · can · prune · kick · charge

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. march — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. march — the month
  10. present — there
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. charge — a price
  13. present — the time now
  14. can — to be able to
  15. present — a gift
  16. charge — in control
  17. kick — in football
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — electricity
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — rain
  24. march — the month

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