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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: staff · bat · press · prune · racket · charge · suit · trunk

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — newspapers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. charge — in control
  14. suit — to fit
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — a publisher
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. press — to push
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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