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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. current — happening now
  15. cell — in biology
  16. spring — the season
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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