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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stem — to come from
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bear — the animal

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