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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: kick · band · pop · charge · prune · drill · fan · foot

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. drill — army training
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — a practice
  11. charge — electricity
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pop — soda
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fan — a supporter

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