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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. swing — music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. march — music
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mate — a friend
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mate — to breed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chair — a leader
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — to grow
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mate — a partner

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