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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bound — obliged
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bound — certain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fine — all right
  14. rule — a law
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rule — government
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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