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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: march · charge · wind · kick · mouse · trunk · jam · net

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. net — in sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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