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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 · rash · current · arm · drill · track · pop · board

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. board — to get on
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pop — soda
  5. track — a song
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — a series
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — a path
  19. rash — hasty
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pop — music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. board — a committee

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