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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — to confront
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rest — a break
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ground — crushed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — part of the head
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bass — low music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — a position

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