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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. game — a match
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mate — to breed
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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