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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. spell — letters
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitch — completely
  9. snap — to click
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. board — to get on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. foot — the bottom

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