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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — size or range
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. capital — a city
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. scale — in music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — a stick
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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