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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. track — to keep track
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. game — a match
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. scale — size or range
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — wild animals
  14. track — a song
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — in music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a path
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. trunk — of a car
  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