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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 116 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. file — a line of people
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. file — a tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — completely
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — happening now
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. swing — music
  23. file — a document
  24. current — electric

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