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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — a break
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. capital — a city
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pit — in a race
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. capital — money
  20. toast — bread
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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