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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — a price
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. charge — electricity
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bass — low music
  23. date — on the calendar
  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