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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. game — a match
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wake — before a funeral

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