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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: rock · court · bore · board · trunk · charge · cap · hand

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. charge — in control
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. hand — in cards
  6. court — for sport
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. court — of a king
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — music
  12. cap — of ice
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — a stone
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bore — to drill

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