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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: jam · cap · trunk · saw · last · charge · rock · court

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — music
  8. last — final
  9. cap — a lid
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. court — of law
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — a stone
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. court — for sport
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. charge — in control
  24. saw — the tool

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