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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 · spell · field · trunk · coach · object · ruler · pop

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pop — to visit
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — letters
  13. field — a subject
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spell — magic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — in control
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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