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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · court · vault · trunk · net · charge · land · tube

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. charge — electricity
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — a country
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — in control
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — of law

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