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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. current — of water
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. press — to push
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. press — a publisher
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. current — happening now

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