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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. key — in music
  8. march — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. key — the most important part
  13. march — the month
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — the month
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — the fish
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a committee

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