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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · field · current · can · cabinet · trunk · fan · tube

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — for sport
  9. bass — low music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — a container
  15. current — electric
  16. field — a subject
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — farmland
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bass — the fish
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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