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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: trunk · bass · field · suit · root · current · fan · present

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — the fish
  3. field — a subject
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — there
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — of water
  9. field — farmland
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. current — electric
  16. suit — to fit
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. field — for sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — in cards

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