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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for dancing
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — to push
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fall — to drop
  16. face — to confront
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. face — to point toward

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