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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. hide — animal skin

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