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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — government
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — a law
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bass — the fish
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

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