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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. present — a gift
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — completely
  11. present — the time now
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — a break
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. suit — to fit
  23. present — there
  24. pitch — a sports field

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