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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — of a river
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. file — a tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. court — of a king

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