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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. court — of law
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rock — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. court — for sport
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — in a road
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — to eat with

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