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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: cell · trunk · pitcher · net · wave · current · calf · staff

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. staff — a stick
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — employees
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wave — of the sea
  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