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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. roll — a cake
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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