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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. toast — bread
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. swing — in golf
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. swing — to play on
  13. field — farmland
  14. ball — a dance
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ball — a great time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — music

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