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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. court — of law
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — in football
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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