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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — a group
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rule — government
  8. file — a document
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. file — a tool
  21. club — for dancing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cue — a hint

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