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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 124 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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. roll — a list
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pass — a permit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. craft — boats
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. craft — a skill
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pass — to spend time

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