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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. current — of water
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bound — certain
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bound — tied together

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