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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 · mug · fan · drill · pitcher · march · mark · current

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — a face
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. drill — army training
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. current — of water
  22. march — the month
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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