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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. charge — in control
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rock — music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. suit — clothes
  9. charge — a price
  10. stock — goods
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. content — happy
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — shares
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — a grade

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