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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cap — of ice
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. prune — to trim
  11. track — a path
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bound — obliged
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. swing — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a match
  20. rock — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cap — a lid
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. game — a kind of play

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