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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. present — a gift
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. court — of law
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pop — to visit
  13. court — for sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — music
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. scale — in music
  18. court — of a king
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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