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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 · march · club · trunk · roll · fan · root · saw

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — music
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. current — of water
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — of a word
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. roll — a cake
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. club — for dancing
  21. current — happening now
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — a group

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