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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ground — the earth
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. key — in music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — a position
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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