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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. degree — an amount
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. trunk — of a car

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