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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · field · row · wound · trunk · chair · prune · deal

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. deal — to handle
  5. current — of water
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. current — electric
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. field — a subject
  11. row — a line
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. current — happening now
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. row — to paddle
  19. field — farmland
  20. chair — a leader
  21. field — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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