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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 120 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: trunk · game · lean · court · press · bound · current · branch

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. press — to push
  4. game — wild animals
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. press — a publisher
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lean — thin
  19. current — happening now
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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