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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · fork · press · trunk · board · rule

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — a law
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rule — government
  14. press — to push
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. press — newspapers

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