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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — to keep track
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. tube — the underground
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mug — a face

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