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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. current — happening now
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — the cause
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. current — of water
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. root — of a word

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