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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: file · pound · prune · bulb · charge · bass · deal · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bass — low music
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a document
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. file — a line of people
  22. charge — in control
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — part of the body

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