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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spring — of water
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a great time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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