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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: calf · court · tube · prune · bank · charge · plane · scale

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — for sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bank — for money
  10. charge — a price
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. court — of a king
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. charge — in control

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