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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. degree — temperature
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rock — music
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bass — the fish

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