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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: deal · current · lean · trunk · pitcher · foot · bay · roll

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. roll — a list
  3. current — happening now
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. roll — a cake
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. current — electric
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. foot — a measure

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