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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tube — a container
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. degree — an amount
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — from a university
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fork — in a road

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