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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. field — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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