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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — a break
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mug — a cup
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bat — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mug — to rob
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. club — a group

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