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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — a thing
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — an aim
  8. land — to come down
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — ground
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. content — the amount
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — to handle
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — a country

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