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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fine — all right
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — boats
  21. scale — in music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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