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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stock — goods
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. root — of a word
  16. tear — to rip
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wake — a trail
  24. prune — to trim

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