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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: saw · can · bulb · trunk · charge · firm · field · land

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. charge — a price
  2. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — steady
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — a company
  12. land — ground
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. charge — electricity
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — decided
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. field — for sport
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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