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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spell — magic
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitch — completely
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wake — before a funeral

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