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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — completely
  5. ground — a position
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. craft — boats

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