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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: band · firm · charge · club · trunk · mine · fine · pop

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. charge — in control
  5. pop — soda
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pop — to visit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a music group
  18. pop — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. firm — steady
  21. mine — for digging
  22. firm — a company
  23. club — a group
  24. charge — electricity

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