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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ground — a position
  5. pass — a permit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. land — to come down
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. land — ground
  23. game — a match
  24. pound — for dogs

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