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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: bowl · kick · march · prune · charge · leaves · pit · wake

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — in football
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. march — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. charge — a price
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. charge — in control
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kick — with a leg

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