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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 116 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: face · prune · bowl · charge · content · stock · nail · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stock — shares
  10. face — to point toward
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — goods
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — the amount
  23. face — to confront
  24. charge — in control

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