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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. march — music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. march — the month
  9. roll — a cake
  10. root — the cause
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. roll — a list
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a word
  24. mouse — the animal

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