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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: wake · charge · present · mug · bass · ruler · pop · prune

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — a gift
  8. charge — in control
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wake — a trail
  15. present — there
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. bass — low music
  20. present — the time now
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mug — to rob

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