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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cue — a signal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rush — hurry
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. scale — in music
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a hint
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. scale — for weighing

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