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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · jam · charge · prune · cold · track · cabinet · pitcher

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — a price
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. charge — in control
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. prune — to trim
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. track — a song
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cold — not warm
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ground — crushed
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cold — an illness
  23. track — a path
  24. prune — to trim

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