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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — to come from
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rest — a break
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — in music
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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