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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: charge · club · wax · bound · pop · track · firm · trunk

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pop — soda
  3. bound — certain
  4. club — for golf
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a path
  9. firm — a company
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. club — a group

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