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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: cue · nail · trunk · deal · pitcher · ground · current · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — of water
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. current — electric
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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