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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. current — happening now
  3. game — a match
  4. root — of a plant
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — the cause
  11. rule — government
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. root — of a word
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. sharp — exactly

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