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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. vault — a safe
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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