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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. court — of law
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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