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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 116 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 · fan · ground · craft · deal · stem · trunk · chair

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ground — a position
  10. stem — to come from
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — a skill
  15. current — electric
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. craft — boats
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — happening now
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a professorship

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