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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. club — for golf
  7. ball — a great time
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pitch — completely
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. club — a group
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a round shape

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