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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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Word bank
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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: cap · trunk · mark · mug · root · shower · object · bat

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. object — a thing
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — to protest
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — a grade
  12. root — of a plant
  13. shower — rain
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mug — to rob
  17. root — the cause
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. object — an aim

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