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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bore — to tire
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to click
  6. ball — a great time
  7. club — for golf
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. club — for dancing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cue — a hint
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bore — to drill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cue — a signal

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