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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — of water
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. root — of a plant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. court — of a king
  10. current — happening now
  11. suit — to fit
  12. court — for sport
  13. root — the cause
  14. court — of law
  15. root — of a word
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kick — in football
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — clothes

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