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

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — a cup
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a match
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mug — a face
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — a group

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