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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: track · prune · bulb · rock · bowl · charge · squash · chip

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. charge — in control
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rock — music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — a price
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a song
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bowl — a football final

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