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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: foot · cabinet · hand · trunk · pit · rule · fork · current

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — electric
  3. pit — a hole
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rule — government
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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