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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. ground — a position
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. charge — in control
  24. bark — of a tree

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