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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. race — the arms race
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. court — of law
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — of water
  14. court — of a king
  15. race — humankind
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — a thing
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — electric
  24. toast — bread

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