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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. march — the month
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a path
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. track — a song
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — size or range

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