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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — for pool
  4. field — for sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — farmland
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — rain
  9. pop — to visit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. field — a subject
  16. craft — boats
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. shower — to wash

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