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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · calf · rash · stand · trunk · mug · bat · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mug — a face
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — to rob
  10. charge — in control
  11. mug — a cup
  12. charge — a price
  13. bat — the animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. court — of law
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rash — a series
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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