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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: scale · arm · stock · prune · date · charge · nail · object

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. date — the fruit
  6. object — to protest
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. object — a thing
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. object — an aim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — a price
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stock — goods
  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