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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — a signal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. branch — a division

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