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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bound — certain
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. charge — in control
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — electricity

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