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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pop — soda
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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