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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 120 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. root — of a word
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lean — to bend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. cue — a signal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — thin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. root — of a plant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — rain
  19. pitch — completely
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. scale — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. scale — size or range

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