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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pop — soda
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pop — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — to rob
  24. spring — of water

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