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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — the fish
  7. race — a contest
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cue — for pool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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