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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cap — of ice
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — for golf
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. roll — a list
  14. kid — child
  15. club — a group
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cap — a lid
  21. press — newspapers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bass — the fish

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