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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fork — in a road
  3. land — a country
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. current — electric
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — to come down
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. land — ground

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