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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. game — a match
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — a break
  6. mug — a cup
  7. object — an aim
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — in a road
  24. mug — a face

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