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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. season — in sport
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — in music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mine — for digging
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — the most important part
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — to succeed

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