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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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