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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. swing — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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