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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 116 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: pound · sharp · charge · trunk · track · board · rash · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — a series
  8. charge — a price
  9. pound — a weight
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — to get on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. charge — electricity
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — exactly

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