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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
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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: wake · land · trunk · root · charge · board · cap · toast

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — the cause
  3. wake — a trail
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — to come down
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. board — to get on
  8. root — of a word
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. root — of a plant
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. charge — a price
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. land — ground
  19. charge — in control
  20. toast — bread
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. board — a flat piece

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