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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 · drill · present · bulb · craft · charge · stock · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — boats
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mine — for digging
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. stock — shares
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — army training
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stock — goods
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. drill — a practice

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