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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — in sport
  4. tube — the underground
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. fork — in a road
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. field — for sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. scale — in music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. season — of the year

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