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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: sharp · bank · charge · content · chair · mug · bass · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mug — to rob
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — the amount
  17. charge — in control
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — low music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. charge — a price

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