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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a ring
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — for betting
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — the fish
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bass — the instrument

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