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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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. trunk — of an elephant
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — all right
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. file — a tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. content — happy
  12. pitch — completely
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the instrument

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