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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: pop · trunk · staff · toast · degree · squash · charge · tube

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. degree — an amount
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. toast — bread
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pop — to visit
  9. degree — from a university
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pop — soda
  13. degree — temperature
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pop — music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. staff — employees
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. squash — the sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. staff — employees

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