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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. squash — to crush
  3. field — a subject
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — a trace
  12. scale — size or range
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — in cards
  16. charge — electricity
  17. root — the cause
  18. field — farmland
  19. charge — in control
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — a price
  22. root — of a word
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. scale — in music

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