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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — a gift
  9. squash — to crush
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. march — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. squash — the sport
  20. march — the month
  21. current — electric
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. branch — a division

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