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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: trunk · file · object · charge · game · pitch · ground · press

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ground — the earth
  8. charge — in control
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — a publisher
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — electricity
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — completely
  19. file — a document
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. charge — a price
  23. game — a match
  24. object — a thing

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