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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. shower — rain
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ball — a dance
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mug — a face

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