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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 · firm · bowl · toast · current · wave · net · swing

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — bread
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. firm — steady
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — decided
  16. current — electric
  17. firm — a company
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. net — in sport
  23. current — of water
  24. bowl — a football final

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