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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tube — the underground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — a committee
  16. band — a ring
  17. stem — to come from
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. band — a music group
  23. roll — a list
  24. board — to get on

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