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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: staff · rock · trunk · track · calf · game · charge · present

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — a match
  7. track — to keep track
  8. charge — in control
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — wild animals
  12. staff — a stick
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. rock — music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. present — the time now
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. staff — employees

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