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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: charge · can · court · trunk · plane · mate · field · march

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mate — a partner
  5. charge — in control
  6. plane — a tool
  7. field — for sport
  8. mate — a friend
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — electricity
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — to breed
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — a price
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of a tree

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