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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. craft — boats
  12. track — a song
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — a path
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. track — to keep track
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — in music
  24. safe — out of danger

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