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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. drill — a practice
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — army training
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a song
  9. degree — an amount
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — a hole
  18. track — to keep track
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. charge — a price
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. charge — electricity
  24. track — a path

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