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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: ball · shower · current · mug · cap · trunk · root · tube

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. root — of a plant
  5. shower — rain
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. tube — the underground
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. root — of a word
  15. mug — a face
  16. current — electric
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mug — a cup
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — happening now
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tube — a container
  24. current — of water

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