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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to click
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. ground — the earth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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