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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · court · charge · trunk · squash · arm · cue · bark

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. file — a line of people
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a document
  13. squash — the sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. cue — a signal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. court — of law
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. squash — to crush
  22. court — for sport
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — part of the body

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