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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: squash · swing · charge · prune · deal · trunk · land · mug

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — to rob
  9. land — to come down
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — to handle
  16. swing — music
  17. charge — a price
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the sport
  24. swing — in golf

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