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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. club — for dancing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — magic
  13. march — music
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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