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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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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: charge · present · prune · stand · vault · cell · pop · arm

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — in control
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — there
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pop — soda
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. prune — to trim
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pop — music
  17. present — a gift
  18. cell — a phone
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. present — the time now
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. charge — electricity

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