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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: object · charge · trunk · chip · game · prune · mine · fan

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — in control
  3. game — a match
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — a price
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. object — to protest
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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