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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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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: rock · prune · pit · kid · dip · cap · rule · charge

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. rule — government
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — a hat
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — electricity
  11. kid — child
  12. pit — in a race
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cap — of ice
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rule — a law
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. prune — to trim
  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