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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. cue — a signal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — a thing

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