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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — goods
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — in music
  13. stock — shares
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. charge — electricity
  17. content — happy
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — the amount
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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