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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · net · bear · court · current · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. court — of a king
  7. net — in sport
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. current — electric
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of a tree

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