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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. present — a gift
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. present — the time now
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. swing — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. track — to keep track
  24. present — there

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