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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: charge · fan · net · ball · ground · trunk · root · board

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — in sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. root — the cause
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — to get on
  15. ground — the earth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — after costs
  18. ground — crushed
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a dance
  23. root — of a word
  24. fan — a supporter

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