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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: toast · charge · ruler · prune · mark · lie · pop · club

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — electricity
  3. club — a group
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pop — soda
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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