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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. land — a country
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bank — for money
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — ground
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — to come down
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cap — of ice
  20. club — for golf
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cap — a lid
  23. club — for dancing
  24. coach — a trainer

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