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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 124 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cap — a lid
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chest — a box
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitch — completely

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