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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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ground — a position
  10. date — the fruit
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — clothes
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — crushed
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. suit — in cards

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