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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: pitcher · rule · prune · wound · firm · charge · jam · hide

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — decided
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. charge — in control
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — steady
  14. charge — a price
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rule — a law
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. firm — a company
  22. rule — government
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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