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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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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — electric
  9. game — a match
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mate — a friend
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. mate — to breed
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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