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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. swing — to play on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pop — music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mug — a face
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — a cup
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — a supporter

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