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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — a contest
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — a leader
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bass — the fish
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — in the ear

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