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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rock — music
  4. net — after costs
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. net — for catching
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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