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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — a weight
  3. current — happening now
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — of water
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — from a university
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. saw — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — 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