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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — a price
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. branch — a division
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — in control
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — after costs

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