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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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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: pound · trunk · fork · shower · object · rule · foot · current

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. shower — rain
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. current — of water
  7. rule — a law
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — happening now
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. pound — a weight
  20. shower — to wash
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. current — electric
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rule — government

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