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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — of the year
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. chip — for betting
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. last — to go on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — lets stay

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