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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — in control
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of a king
  16. current — electric
  17. charge — a price
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rash — a series
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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