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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: band · spell · suit · current · ruler · trunk · row · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. row — a line
  3. current — happening now
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — letters
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spell — magic
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. band — a ring
  15. current — electric
  16. row — to paddle
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — of water
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. band — a rubber band

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