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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: prune · rash · spell · ground · charge · mark · stock · fork

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — in control
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stock — shares
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — magic
  18. rash — a series
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — goods

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