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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — for a lock
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — hasty
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — in music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. kick — in football
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rash — a series
  22. sharp — clever
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — with a leg

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