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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — the season
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spring — of water
  20. race — a contest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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