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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 · trunk · charge · scale · mate · present · court · prune

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. mate — to breed
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — there
  8. mate — a friend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. present — the time now
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a partner
  15. present — a gift
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — to keep track
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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