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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. club — a group
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. club — for dancing
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. club — for golf
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fan — to cool the air

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