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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · stock · charge · prune · bank · bass · wave · pound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — the fish
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stock — shares
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. charge — a price
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bank — for money
  19. stock — goods
  20. bank — of a river
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — a soup base

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