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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. kid — child
  6. fall — the season
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitch — completely

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