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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. field — farmland
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chip — to eat
  24. perch — for a bird

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