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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitch — completely
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fine — all right
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pass — a permit

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