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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — magic
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — letters
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spell — a short time
  14. board — a committee
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — of water
  21. board — to get on
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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