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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. foot — a measure
  7. charge — in control
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — electricity
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — there
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. trunk — of a car

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