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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spring — the season
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spring — of water
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mark — a grade

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