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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: chair · track · present · game · rule · current · ground · trunk

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. rule — a law
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. present — a gift
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rule — government
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. track — a path
  17. game — a match
  18. ground — a position
  19. present — the time now
  20. chair — a leader
  21. present — there
  22. track — to keep track
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. track — a song

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