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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: hide · ground · jam · game · charge · last · fine · prune

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ground — a position
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. last — final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. game — wild animals
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hide — animal skin

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