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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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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 · stick · pitch · bowl · file · mouse · cap · current

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. current — electric
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — happening now
  15. file — a tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. current — of water
  21. cap — a lid
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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