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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: toast · net · ball · kick · charge · trunk · cell · chip

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — a price
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — to eat
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. toast — bread
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — a phone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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