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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — an aim
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — completely
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wind — moving air
  8. march — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. march — the month
  13. object — a thing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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