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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. land — a country
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of a king
  11. pound — a weight
  12. court — for sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ground — a position
  24. land — ground

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