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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 120 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: ruler · game · mouse · racket · club · march · mug · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — a match
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. club — a group
  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