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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. track — a song
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — a trail
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — to keep track
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. current — electric
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. swing — to play on
  24. track — a path

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