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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stock — shares
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — in control
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. scale — size or range
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. scale — in music
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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