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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · key · dip · charge · rock · prune · rule · jam

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. charge — electricity
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rock — music
  5. club — a group
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — in music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for golf
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. charge — a price
  16. rule — a law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — government
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — to dunk

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