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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. drill — army training
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rule — a law
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pop — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pop — to visit

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