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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bat — the animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chest — a box
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for golf
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — for baseball

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