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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — an aim
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. last — to go on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. last — finally
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — a container
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — a thing
  24. last — final

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