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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pitch — completely
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — to get on
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a tree

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