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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — to come down
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. land — a country
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — ground
  22. season — in sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — a sports field

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