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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — in sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a dance
  20. staff — employees
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ball — a great time

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