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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. court — of law
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of a king
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. spell — letters
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chest — of your body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitch — a sports field

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