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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — completely
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — for digging

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