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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 124 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitch — completely
  7. hand — in cards
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rest — what's left
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — help
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bear — the animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rest — a break
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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