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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 · bowl · fine · charge · sharp · swing · bear · land

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — a price
  12. land — to come down
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fine — high quality
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — in control
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — to put up with

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