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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. content — happy
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spell — a short time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — magic
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. suit — to fit
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — with an edge

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