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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 120 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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. club — for golf
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — of water
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — the season
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. squash — the sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. club — a group
  23. squash — to crush
  24. scale — for weighing

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