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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. court — of a king
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. present — a gift

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