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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. toast — bread
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. drill — army training
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. drill — the tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. trunk — of a car
  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