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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — all right
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. season — of the year
  18. track — to keep track
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. dip — to sink

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