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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: prune · last · rule · pop · present · staff · ball · charge

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. rule — a law
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — soda
  6. last — finally
  7. present — there
  8. rule — government
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a great time
  12. last — final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ball — a dance
  16. last — to go on
  17. pop — to visit
  18. present — a gift
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. charge — electricity
  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