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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a line
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. row — to paddle
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cue — for pool
  12. snap — to click
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. scale — in music
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — a grade
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. racket — for tennis

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