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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. charge — in control
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — a practice
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. season — of the year
  15. capital — a city
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — a price
  21. perch — the fish
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. capital — money
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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