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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: trunk · toast · suit · charge · stock · clip · arm · band

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. charge — in control
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. clip — for paper
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. clip — a video
  15. charge — electricity
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. band — a ring
  20. toast — bread
  21. clip — to cut
  22. charge — a price
  23. band — a music group
  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