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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. cue — a signal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — a subject
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bowl — a dish

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