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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — a hole
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. branch — a division

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