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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bass — the fish
  13. key — in music
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — 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