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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 116 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: wake · cap · ball · staff · current · board · object · trunk

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — happening now
  6. cap — a hat
  7. object — an aim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — to get on
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — electric
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. object — to protest
  22. board — a committee
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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