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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: can · season · ball · pop · current · trunk · calf · mark

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ball — a dance
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — electric
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mark — a trace
  24. can — a tin

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