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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 120 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: prune · field · fan · root · lash · bound · charge · ball

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a great time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — a subject
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — of a plant
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. charge — in control
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — the cause
  21. field — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. field — farmland

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