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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ball — a great time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — government
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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