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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. swing — to play on
  6. shower — to wash
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cue — for pool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. swing — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — electric
  21. shower — rain
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. ball — a great time

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