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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. press — newspapers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitch — completely
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. press — to push
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — a trail

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