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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: bore · chest · racket · stick · object · vault · trunk · current

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — a thing
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. object — to protest
  6. current — electric
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chest — a box
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — of water
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. current — happening now
  24. object — an aim

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