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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · charge · prune · racket · tube · drill · pit · pop

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pop — soda
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — a price
  14. pit — a hole
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. drill — army training
  21. pit — in a race
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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