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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. field — farmland
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cue — a signal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. object — a thing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. field — a subject
  13. object — an aim
  14. current — of water
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — for pool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. object — to protest
  21. current — electric
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — happening now

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