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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. chair — a leader
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — a song
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — a price
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. charge — in control
  14. capital — money
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — a city
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — to sit on
  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