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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — in music
  12. drill — army training
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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