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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. court — for sport
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spring — the season
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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