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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: foot · trunk · current · mine · ruler · roll · band · row

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. roll — a list
  17. band — a music group
  18. current — of water
  19. roll — a cake
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. roll — on a roll

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