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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.

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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. field — farmland
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — for sport

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