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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of a car

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