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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tube — the underground
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — a container
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — a practice
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — to come from

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