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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 120 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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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: charge · pass · bowl · hide · prune · stock · perch · stick

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stock — shares
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. charge — in control
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stock — goods
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. charge — a price
  24. pass — a permit

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