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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pit — a hole
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rock — a stone
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. file — a document
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. file — a line of people
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cell — a phone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cell — in biology

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