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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. club — for golf
  20. mark — a trace
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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