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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — a stone
  7. root — of a word
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. root — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cue — a signal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. swing — to play on
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — the cause

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