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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 124 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — to paddle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. march — music
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pitch — completely
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — to come down
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — a grade
  16. land — a country
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. row — a line
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pound — to hit hard

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