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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: fall · ruler · current · game · mug · shower · trunk · racket

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. shower — rain
  6. mug — a face
  7. shower — to wash
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. current — of water
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — a cup
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. game — a match
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a car

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