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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. court — for sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of a king
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — a weight
  15. march — music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — for dogs

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