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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a great time
  10. track — a song
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — a company
  18. chair — a leader
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — decided
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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