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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 120 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: trunk · chair · bulb · racket · hand · cabinet · current · chest

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — of water
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chest — a box
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — in cards
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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