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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · current · roll · swing · fork · season · pass · foot

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. swing — in golf
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. roll — a cake
  6. current — of water
  7. roll — a list
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — music
  11. current — electric
  12. foot — a measure
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. current — happening now
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. swing — to play on
  23. season — of the year
  24. fork — a garden tool

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