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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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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: prune · suit · rock · ground · cold · stock · key · charge

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stock — goods
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. charge — in control
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — a position
  17. key — for a lock
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — crushed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stock — shares
  24. rock — 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