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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rock — a stone
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — in cards
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — the month
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — to protest
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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