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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · drill · bound · pit · bear · trunk · mate · march

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — electricity
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — to breed
  6. drill — army training
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pit — in a race
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bound — tied together
  23. march — music
  24. charge — in control

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