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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. hand — help
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rash — hasty
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rash — a series

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