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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mine — for digging
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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