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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — for catching
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — the month
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. march — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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