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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: pit · prune · bark · pass · fan · present · charge · chair

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pit — in a race
  12. charge — in control
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bark — to shout
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. present — there
  23. chair — a leader
  24. charge — a price

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