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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. scale — size or range
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — a practice
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. track — a path
  21. drill — army training
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. scale — in music
  24. drill — the tool

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