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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. craft — boats
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. race — humankind
  14. key — for a lock
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — a contest
  20. key — in music
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pit — a hole

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