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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. field — for sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rash — a series
  9. mug — a face
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. field — a subject
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pitch — completely
  15. field — farmland
  16. rash — hasty
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob

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