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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 120 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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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 · current · pitcher · ruler · mark · present · bay · wind

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — electric
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — of water
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. present — a gift
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — there

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