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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: current · clip · shower · track · bear · ball · fork · trunk

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — the animal
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — electric
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. clip — a video
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — a path
  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