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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 116 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 · stand · charge · prune · rest · tube · plane · pitch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — a price
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stand — to bear
  14. charge — in control
  15. tube — the underground
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — a break
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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