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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. swing — music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. ball — a dance
  14. net — after costs
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — to play on
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. net — for catching

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