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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. net — for catching
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bark — to shout
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. net — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — for sport
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. squash — to crush

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