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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for golf
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pound — a weight

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