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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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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: field · trunk · press · calf · current · staff · court · leaves

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — for sport
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — electric
  6. staff — a stick
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. court — of a king
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. current — of water
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. press — to push
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. court — of law

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