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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: charge · mate · chair · trunk · hand · march · ground · mark

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hand — help
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ground — a position
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ground — the earth
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — in cards
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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