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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: club · mark · fan · charge · bound · prune · current · bear

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — certain
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bound — obliged
  24. prune — the fruit

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