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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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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — goods
  8. charge — in control
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — a price
  22. current — of water
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. current — electric

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