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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. club — for golf
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — crushed
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for dancing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. present — there
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — a group
  18. ground — the earth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — a gift
  22. spring — the season
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. spring — of water

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