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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — in a race
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pit — a hole
  11. scale — in music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — soda
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. arm — part of the body

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