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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. firm — a company
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pound — a weight
  12. race — a contest
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. firm — decided
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cap — a lid
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kid — child

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