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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
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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: pound · charge · clip · perch · mug · pitcher · trunk · arm

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — in control
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. charge — a price
  6. mug — to rob
  7. clip — a video
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pound — a weight
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. clip — to cut
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mug — a cup
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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