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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: prune · trunk · bowl · pop · club · bass · bank · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the fish
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — in control
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — a price
  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