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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. bat — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — a measure
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — a loud noise

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