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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pop — to visit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — a group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. hand — help
  17. club — for golf
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — for digging
  24. perch — for a bird

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