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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — in football
  3. fork — in a road
  4. capital — a city
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. degree — from a university
  21. capital — money
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — to eat with

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