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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: pop · present · trunk · staff · rock · charge · race · ruler

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. staff — employees
  4. pop — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rock — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. pop — to visit
  13. charge — a price
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. race — a contest
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — a gift
  21. rock — a stone
  22. staff — employees
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — the arms race

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