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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: pitcher · current · scale · object · ground · deal · lash · trunk

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. current — electric
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — happening now
  13. scale — in music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. current — of water
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — size or range
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — the earth

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