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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. game — a match
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kid — child
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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