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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: wave · charge · trunk · bulb · court · rock · firm · coach

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. firm — a company
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. court — of a king
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. court — of law
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of a tree

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