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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — the tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bass — the fish
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. racket — for tennis

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