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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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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: current · ground · bulb · season · trunk · toast

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — crushed
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. ground — a position
  18. season — of the year

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