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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. degree — an amount
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rock — a stone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. board — to get on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. straw — a straw man

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