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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. bowl — a dish
  3. capital — money
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kid — child
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fine — all right
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  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