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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. present — a gift
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. present — the time now
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. scale — in music
  19. present — there
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bowl — a dish

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