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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 · wax · court · rock · trunk · press · foot · ball

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rock — music
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a dance
  12. court — of law
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — to grow
  15. press — newspapers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. press — to push
  19. court — of a king
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — in the ear

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