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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cell — in biology
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — a phone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — a song
  13. club — a group
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — ministers

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