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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — a tool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — a country
  24. prune — the fruit

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