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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — music
  11. land — a country
  12. cap — a lid
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pop — music
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — to visit
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wake — a trail
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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