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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: face · charge · stock · trunk · key · bulb · chair · march

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. face — to confront
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. march — the month
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — goods
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — the most important part
  20. face — to point toward
  21. charge — in control
  22. stock — shares
  23. key — in music
  24. charge — a price

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