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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: pit · pop · prune · cap · rock · march · lean · charge

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — a price
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. march — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — a stone
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. charge — in control
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — soda

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