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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — tied together
  5. object — a thing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — certain
  11. mark — a trace
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. object — to protest
  18. cue — a hint
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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