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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — of water
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — electric
  16. net — for catching
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — in sport
  19. game — a match
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the fish

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