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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. march — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. march — the month
  23. game — a match
  24. patient — a sick person

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