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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — steady
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — for dancing
  15. game — a match
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. game — wild animals
  18. club — a group
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cue — a signal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. firm — a company
  24. club — for golf

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