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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: object · kick · race · band · current · trunk · racket · bark

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. band — a ring
  4. kick — in football
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — electric
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. race — humankind
  23. current — of water
  24. race — the arms race

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