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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. track — a song
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — a phone
  7. roll — a list
  8. track — a path
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. net — for catching
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pop — soda
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. cell — in biology
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pop — to visit
  24. safe — out of danger

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