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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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 a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spell — a short time
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — in football
  23. dip — to dunk
  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