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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · bass · foot · present · pit · current · land · trunk

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pit — in a race
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bass — low music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bass — the fish
  13. current — electric
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. land — ground
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. current — of water
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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