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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — size or range
  5. drill — a practice
  6. suit — to fit
  7. spring — the season
  8. row — a line
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — a coil
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. scale — in music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. drill — the tool

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