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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · cabinet · season · trunk · rule · track · mouse · racket

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. season — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — to sink
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — a song
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. season — of the year
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. track — to keep track

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