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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cue — a signal
  8. swing — music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pit — in a race
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pit — a hole
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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