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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — steady
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — a company
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. firm — decided
  19. degree — from a university
  20. game — a match
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — an amount
  24. wind — to turn a key

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