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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: swing · bulb · bowl · ground · pitcher · trunk · band · charge

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. charge — electricity
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — a price
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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