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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — the time now
  4. staff — employees
  5. bass — the fish
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. capital — a city
  13. present — a gift
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — there
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — low music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. capital — money

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