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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.

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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: key · coach · rule · pound · squash · row · trunk · current

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rule — government
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. key — the most important part
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — a weight
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — of water
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — in music
  20. rule — a law
  21. current — electric
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — to rule out

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