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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 120 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: cap · trunk · charge · can · pound · fall · court · pitcher

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fall — to drop
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — in control
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of a king
  11. charge — electricity
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — a tin
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — for sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — the season

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