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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bass — low music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pound — for dogs

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