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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: charge · fork · press · trunk · board · rule · track · last

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. last — finally
  9. charge — electricity
  10. track — a song
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — final
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. board — a committee
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — a path
  17. board — to get on
  18. press — to push
  19. last — to go on
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. press — newspapers
  24. trunk — of a tree

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