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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. content — happy
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. roll — a cake
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. content — the amount
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — a safe
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. swing — in golf

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