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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: band · ground · key · lean · trunk · current · patient · cue

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — a position
  11. current — of water
  12. band — a ring
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — electric
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lean — to rest against

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