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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. band — a ring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. scale — size or range
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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