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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: pop · pound · ground · prune · sharp · chest · charge · rash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. chest — a box
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ground — a position
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  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