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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: chip · charge · board · stem · trunk · scale · pitch · staff

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — to come from
  5. board — to get on
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. board — a committee
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — employees

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