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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — in music

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