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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — music
  7. club — a group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. march — the month
  11. track — to keep track
  12. club — for dancing
  13. net — in sport
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. club — for golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. track — a path
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a grade

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