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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: cap · game · stick · trunk · bore · current · saw · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. current — electric
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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