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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. key — in music
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stem — to come from

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