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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. current — of water
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. current — electric
  5. fall — the season
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of law
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. court — of a king
  22. current — happening now
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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