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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. charge — in control
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. present — the time now
  5. stock — goods
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. press — a publisher
  8. present — a gift
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stock — shares
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. press — to push
  15. present — there
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. press — newspapers
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — happening now

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