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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. scale — in music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — for golf
  7. net — for catching
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a plant
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — of the leg

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