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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rock — a stone
  12. scale — in music
  13. band — a music group
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rock — music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. kick — in football
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. band — a ring
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rock — to move gently

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