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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: mark · charge · drill · toast · chair · bat · trunk · stem

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. drill — army training
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stem — to come from
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mark — a grade
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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