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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: bowl · current · roll · capital · bulb · straw · trunk · calf

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. capital — money
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — electric
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. current — happening now
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a football final

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