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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: trunk · pitcher · court · charge · press · rush · fork · arm

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. court — of law
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. charge — a price
  22. court — of a king
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. charge — electricity

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