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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: trunk · suit · game · branch · current · rule · staff · content

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rule — a law
  6. current — electric
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. content — happy
  10. current — of water
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. game — wild animals
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — a division
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. rule — government
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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