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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: mine · arm · prune · mark · jam · charge · cabinet · stock

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. charge — a price
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — to trim
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stock — goods
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. charge — in control
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — ministers

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