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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cue — a signal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — a hint
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — to keep track
  14. roll — a list
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. suit — in cards

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