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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — to be able to
  7. land — ground
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stock — goods
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — boats
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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