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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · jam · pound · racket · rule · scale · calf · perch

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — a law
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rule — government
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pound — a weight
  14. scale — in music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. trunk — of a tree

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