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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: bark · kick · field · pass · tube · charge · bulb · trunk

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. kick — in football
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. field — a subject
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — a container
  24. field — for sport

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