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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 116 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pit — a hole
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. degree — temperature
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — completely
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. charge — in control

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