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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 · prune · pop · charge · foot · bark · wax · fall

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — to trim
  8. charge — electricity
  9. club — a group
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fall — the season
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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