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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: game · mug · club · current · swing · trunk · bark · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. club — a group
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. swing — in golf
  10. game — a match
  11. swing — to play on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — electric
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — a cup
  19. club — for dancing
  20. swing — music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. club — for golf

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