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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: nail · current · trunk · mate · game · straw · pop · bulb

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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