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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. rest — a break
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — boats
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. deal — to handle
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — a skill
  18. land — ground
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — the fruit

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