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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: charge · club · fine · arm · scale · prune · trunk · wake

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — a trail
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. club — for golf
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. charge — a price
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. scale — size or range
  21. club — for dancing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. scale — in music
  24. arm — part of the body

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