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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — in a road
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. roll — a cake
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. roll — a list
  15. firm — steady
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mug — a face
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. cap — of ice

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