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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. court — for sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pit — a hole
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. band — a music group
  20. pit — in a race
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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