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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pit — a hole
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to click
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pit — in a race

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