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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: mouse · bat · trunk · bass · wake · current · pitcher · cabinet

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — low music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. trunk — of a car

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