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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 · pass · bass · foot · roll · lash · court · trunk

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. roll — a cake
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — in control
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. court — of a king
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — of law
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — the instrument

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