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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. season — of the year
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. foot — a measure
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. chip — to eat
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. scale — size or range
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — part of the body

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