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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fine — all right
  5. cell — in biology
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — soda
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pop — music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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