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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: pitch · charge · court · trunk · leaves · bulb · club · shower

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — completely
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. shower — to wash
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — in control
  16. court — of a king
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — a price
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — rain
  24. leaves — lets stay

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