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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. suit — to fit
  4. capital — a city
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — money
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. suit — clothes
  17. field — for sport
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. field — a subject

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