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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: scale · wave · current · trunk · ground · craft · mark · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. craft — boats
  6. mark — a grade
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ground — a position
  9. squash — to crush
  10. current — electric
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. current — of water
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. scale — in music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mark — a trace
  24. squash — the vegetable

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