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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: pitch · fork · rule · jam · staff · current · trunk · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rule — a law
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rule — government
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. staff — employees
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. charge — electricity

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