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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. squash — to crush
  5. content — the amount
  6. present — there
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. present — a gift
  13. ground — a position
  14. degree — an amount
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cue — for pool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — the time now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cue — a signal
  24. content — happy

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