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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: press · trunk · leaves · pit · club · charge · bay · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. club — a group
  3. press — a publisher
  4. charge — a price
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — the month
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. club — for golf
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. press — to push
  17. march — music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. leaves — of a tree

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