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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pound — a weight
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitch — completely
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — a phone
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rush — hurry

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