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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 116 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: march · pound · hand · cabinet · perch · trunk · mate · game

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mate — a friend
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. hand — in cards
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a match
  21. pound — a weight
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — help

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