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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: present · trunk · roll · current · chest · vault · pitch · mate

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. current — of water
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pitch — completely
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — a partner
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chest — a box
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. current — happening now
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. current — electric
  24. roll — on a roll

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