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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: bat · mate · trunk · spell · root · current · scale · suit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. spell — letters
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mate — to breed
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. suit — clothes
  14. scale — size or range
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — a short time
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — magic
  20. bat — the animal
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — happening now
  23. root — of a word
  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