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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — a series
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. court — for sport
  24. fine — high quality

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