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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. pit — a hole
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — low music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. race — humankind
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — the arms race
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. race — a contest
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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