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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: last · squash · pit · cell · bay · current · scale · trunk

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cell — a phone
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — the sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — a hole
  12. last — final
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. current — happening now
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. scale — size or range
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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