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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: trunk · row · club · ruler · file · current · chip · bore

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — to eat
  4. current — happening now
  5. club — for golf
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. club — a group
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. current — of water
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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