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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — a position
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rule — a law
  13. row — a line
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pound — a weight
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. trunk — of a car

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