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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: bat · key · game · mark · trunk · calf · current · foot

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. game — a match
  12. key — in music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. current — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mark — a trace

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