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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 120 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: rock · fan · march · pitcher · prune · pop · ball · charge

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — the month
  7. charge — a price
  8. pop — to visit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pop — soda
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. march — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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