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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — magic
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. jam — in traffic

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