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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — to crush
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — to get on

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