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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — for catching
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. net — after costs
  20. scale — size or range
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chip — for betting

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