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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 120 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
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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: club · cap · chair · rush · charge · game · trunk · ruler

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. charge — electricity
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — a price
  6. cap — a lid
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a hat
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. charge — in control
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. club — for golf
  20. game — a match
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — of ice
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — to hurry

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