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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a grade
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. charge — a price
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — a law
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of a tree

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