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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: squash · fan · march · mark · prune · charge · spell · roll

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — in control
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — magic
  12. roll — a list
  13. charge — a price
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. squash — the sport
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — a cake
  23. squash — to crush
  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