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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
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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: prune · content · cap · suit · bass · march · ball · charge

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. suit — to fit
  6. content — happy
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ball — a great time
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. suit — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. march — music
  23. content — the amount
  24. bass — the fish

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