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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — for golf
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. capital — a city
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. capital — money

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