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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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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: pitch · chair · charge · land · kick · trunk · stick · root

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — ground
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chair — a leader
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — a price
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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