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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pop — soda
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. charge — electricity
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — a price
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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