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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cue — a hint
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. march — the month
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pound — a weight
  22. march — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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