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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 120 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: file · kid · bulb · charge · racket · kick · trunk · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — in control
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a line of people
  9. charge — a price
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — music
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kid — child
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — for light

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