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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: rule · pop · ground · charge · prune · cue · net · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. charge — a price
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ground — a position
  15. cue — a hint
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — for pool
  18. net — after costs
  19. rule — government
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — a law
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. charge — in control

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