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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: charge · pass · stem · march · rule · prune · last · fan

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — a law
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. last — final
  14. charge — in control
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — to go on
  18. rule — government
  19. last — finally
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. prune — to trim

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