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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — steady
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — of water
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — decided
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — a company
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — the season
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — the fruit

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