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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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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. charge — a price
  4. rest — what's left
  5. charge — electricity
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stock — shares
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. charge — in control
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a ring
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — goods

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