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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. object — a thing
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. object — to protest
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — a grade
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mark — a trace
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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