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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: cabinet · cap · wake · perch · stock · plane · prune · charge

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. stock — goods
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — in control
  8. perch — the fish
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — a price
  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