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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. toast — bread

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