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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. bear — the animal
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — to get on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. swing — music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. board — a committee
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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