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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: trunk · toast · dip · charge · prune · rash · mouse · field

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — in control
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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