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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. scale — size or range
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a ring
  15. mug — a face
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. band — a music group
  20. mug — a cup
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mug — to rob
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pitch — a sports field

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