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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mug — a face
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — a committee
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. board — to get on
  20. mug — a cup
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pitch — completely

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