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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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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: trunk · charge · bass · vault · file · nail · pitch · present

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. present — the time now
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — in control
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bass — low music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. present — a gift
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a document
  23. present — there
  24. vault — a safe

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