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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. net — for catching
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitch — completely
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. deal — to handle
  14. net — in sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pass — a permit
  21. dip — to sink
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. net — after costs
  24. trunk — of a car

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