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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: chip · race · object · stem · bat · charge · trunk · bore

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. race — the arms race
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bore — to tire
  10. charge — in control
  11. object — an aim
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. charge — electricity
  16. object — to protest
  17. race — humankind
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. object — a thing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. race — a contest
  24. bat — the animal

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