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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: present · shower · pit · bass · bound · trunk · charge · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pit — a hole
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. shower — rain
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — low music
  13. present — the time now
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — in a race
  19. present — there
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. charge — a price
  24. present — a gift

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