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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 120 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: current · foot · court · face · trunk · press · fork · content

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — of law
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. content — the amount
  9. press — to push
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. current — of water
  14. court — of a king
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — happening now
  18. fork — in a road
  19. court — for sport
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — to point toward
  23. foot — a measure
  24. current — electric

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