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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: march · tube · charge · trunk · track · bark · racket · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — a price
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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