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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: bulb · land · charge · trunk · branch · pop · field · mug

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. field — a subject
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — a price
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — music
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — for sport
  23. land — a country
  24. field — farmland

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